West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-07-15
SuAxnonDALE SPRINGS. July, 1887.

A listless climate here, where, sooth to
say,
,Tis AWAY season tween June and May
And whate'er smacks of 'noyance or un-
rest
Is far, far of expelled from this delicious
nest"
Thinking you might endorse IA
vorable report of this once famous
watering place in the lower Shenan,
doah Valley, we send a sketch OF
this seasons doings hereabouts.
This is a lovely spot, and there has
been nothing dull in the gayety OF
the Summer. Fire some years ago
DESTROYED the hotel and other build
ings; these have not been regretted,
but all the signs seem to indicate
that the hotel and cottages will rise
from their ashes before next season,
when we can expect this Summer re-
sort to become one of the most at
tractive and desirable and nearly the
most accessible of the many minor
springs of West Virginia.
A few old cottages remain habit
able, and though lacking in the or
nate appointments of fashionable
structures, they yet offer fairly COM
Portable quarters. And the neigh
boring farmers are prepared to take
a limited number of boarders. Be
sides, several parties are tenting out
and thus rejoicing in the real de-
lights of rustication. Amusements
have been quite varied, and dull care
has not invaded this sanctuary OF
sport and rest. Mr.. Rouss favors
us with beautiful exhibitions of fire
works sent off from the romantic
Lovers Leap; violins guitars resound
in love-laden songs Of the self constl-
tuted glee club, all add to the attrac-
tions and furnish to the most fastld
ious, purely rustic delights. The
Young ladies are gay and charming,
and some of the beauX seem to have
risen to the grand distinction of be-
inc the oft-recurring Adam of the
Paradise of Love,-"the happiest
man,"-though the great professor
Diogenes Tenfelsdroeck, in "Sartor
Resortus," has endeavored to teach
that love is the "foofs Eden" where
in the forbidden flowers, beautiful
women.
Mr.. Chas. Berry and family, of
Ripon, after q weeks visit left last
Monday. The new arrivals for the
week are, Mr.. Jno. Coyle and wife,
Messrs. b. d. Gibson, II. b. Daven-
port, Braxton Davenport, j. NJ. Ma
son, Jr., G. d. Moore, II. X. Amber,
L. ID. Getzendaner, of Charlestown,
and Mr.. Chas. j. Wreaks, Jr., of
New York.
When the litigation over this prop
erty ends and this resort falls into
the hands of parties who will hasten
the work of improvement, Shannon
dale will assume its pristine glory
and offer unsurpassed attractions to
every class of the votaries of Summer
resorts,-the old and the young, the
fisherman, hunters, boatingmen,
statesmen, philosophers, poets and
novelicts. Berry-brown maids and
sun-burnt men can here open up
their hearts in full diapason to the
old, old story; they can deal in the
reflection of dissatisfied heart, or
in the warm introspection of thwart-
ed passion deferred in its conquer
ing hopes. The lover of nature can
rejoice inthe Kingfsher as it swoops
a dash like an inspiration; or can
ponder on the goatsucker as it sweeps
along like a beautiful thought; or
mourn with the faithful dove as the
imagination pictures the niche where
God puts the broken idols OF the
art;-nature in all beauty of seen
cry is here. Hardly any Summer
Resort gives such variety of amuse-
ment, views, and kinds of exercise:
here we have mountain and valley,
forest, riuer, cliffs and meadows.
The Alternative and tonic effects OF
the waters are very quick to give
tone and strength to the system.
Perhaps no baths and waters have
more apparent and grateful results
in regulating the "tissue changes
of the body, and they are especially
of great medicinal value in loss OF
health from "disturbe1 destructive
changes" (the ''retrograde metamor-
phosis" of the physicians.
Jefferson county cannot be man
ufacturing centre, no great boom can
come upon us from coal or iron; the
only chance,to boom lies in the pros
perity of number of Summaries and
schools in Charlestown and the flour
ishing of Shannondale Springs, these
will add greatly to our wealth and
population. This inviting place is
picturesquely located only six miles
from the Charlestown station of two
railroads, and is particularly noted
for it's environment of all that is
chiefly necessary for angling, boating,
bathing, fowlirg driving and walk
ing,-a nearly perfect antidote for
ennui. The enterprising spirit of
some capitalist will surely some day
find millions in it"
Very truly yours,
A SoJoUNER.